Thursday, March 10, 2011

McLaren MP4-12C Makes Its Southern California Debut

I spent time over lunch, Tuesday, interviewing my new best friend, Frank Stephenson - Design Director for McLaren Automotive Limited. The silver McLaren MP4-12C was flown from London to the Orange County Art Museum to be debuted to select members of the Automotive Press. The $238,000, nearly 600 HP piece of exquisite supercar engineering is expected to go on sale sometime this summer ... so save your nickels.

In Southern California, there will be two dealerships (Newport Beach / Beverly Hills) up and running by Summer 2011.

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

The first year's production run will be for 1,000 cars worldwide with about 30%-35% expected to be bought up here in California. The car they flew out has a governor that limits the speed of the car to about 15 mph. This summer, they will have test drive capable models, in many colors, available to the right potential client.

Through a combination of carbon fiber expertise, innovative Formula 1-inspired technologies and development programs, and a desire to launch a range of ‘pure McLaren’ road cars, the groundbreaking new McLaren MP4-12C has redefined highperformance sports car benchmarks.

By March 2010, when the 12C was first revealed, McLaren Automotive was close to achieving its own high performance targets within the intensive testing and development program. Key segment targets included:

· highest power with fastest acceleration and braking across all typical benchmark speed and distance parameters

· lightest weight, and therefore highest power to weight ratio All within a package of more subjective, but equally important, benchmarks: comfort, practicality, drivability, and ownership costs.

To be a success, and bring innovation to the market, McLaren knew the 12C had to be the first genuine ‘no compromise’ highperformance sports car.----Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

30 years of carbon innovation

In 1981, McLaren Racing introduced the carbon monocoque to Formula 1: it offered an unbeatable combination of strength and lightness. In 2011, McLaren Racing will compete with its 200th carbon fiber chassis.

The legendary McLaren F1 sports car was the first road car to feature a carbon chassis when it launched in 1993. With 2,153 SLRs manufactured in its seven-year production run from 2003 to 2009, it is still the largest volume car built on a carbon-fiber chassis.

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

Now, the 12C takes carbon innovation to a new level. It is based on a unique one-piece molded carbon chassis: the MonoCell. Weighing in at 165lbs, the MonoCell provides the perfect combination of occupant space, structural integrity, light weight, and relatively low construction costs. In addition, it is the ideal chassis from which to deliver groundbreaking efficiency and performance in the sports car market.

All we know, for a limited production supercar designed specifically to combine F1 Season Series (8 Contractors / 12 Drivers' Championship titles), 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500, and Can-Am winning technology with daily road/street worthy sensibility and reliability to the retail market for under $250,000, McLaren's MP4-12C is an unparalleled accomplishment!